Nature Preserves & Trails

The Eaton Farm & The Back River Trail are adjacent to Chewonki Neck to the east. Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company donated the 200-acre Eaton Farm to Chewonki in 2005 as part of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission settlement agreement. Chewonki agreed to create a nature preserve, maintain public access, foster stewardship of the estuarine environment, and provide a forum for dialogue on environmental policy issues. The Back River Trail at Eaton Farm got underway in 2005 – with 4.5 miles of trail opened to the public in 2006. This leg is the first in a long-range plan for a trail from Chewonki Neck to the Town of Wiscasset. When completed, the trail will comprise the longest coastal hiking trail outside of Acadia National Park. Day use only, no camping. Hunting is permitted. Click here to download a map and visitor guide.

Directions to Eaton Farm:
From Route One turn right onto Old Ferry Road in Wiscasset. Take the 3rd right onto Ready Point Road (Ready Point Road is 0.5 miles past Chewonki Road.) Follow Ready Point Road until you see a well-marked sign on the left for Eaton Farm Trail. There is ample parking and a kiosk.

Montsweag Preserve is a 50-acre preserve that sits directly across from the Chewonki waterfront and includes a mix of rocky and salt marsh shoreline in addition to a beautiful stretch of coastal forest. The property was transferred to Chewonki in 1994 and ensures that our waterfront will be protected from marine-related development forever. This property is open to the public for walking.

The Cushman Preserve anchors the northern end of the Back River Trail, linking the trail to Birch Point and the Wiscasset waterfront to the north and the former Maine Yankee lands to the south. This 147-acre property came to Chewonki in several pieces. The donors have requested that we maintain the tree farm, first established on the land in the mid-1930s, and keep the pasture open for public enjoyment.